"It has been the misfortune of this age, that everything is to be discussed, as if the constitution of our country were to be always a subject rather of altercation than enjoyment." - Edmund Burke anticipates the Neverendum

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Critics lay into Blair on ID cards

"The independent information commissioner, Richard Thomas, a long-term critic of ID cards, stepped up his rhetoric yesterday describing the government's plans as "excessive and disproportionate".

In a paper timed for today's Commons debate, he claimed the cards - backed by a comprehensive national identity card register - could become part of a new "surveillance society".

He claimed so-called function creep would see demands grow for access to a person's data trail and increasing demands for an individual to reveal their identity."

As mentioned yesterday, the unions aren't too impressed either:

" In a letter to the Guardian, a broadening alliance of leaders of 10 big unions condemned the cards.

The letter says: "It is anathema to us in the trade union movement that a Labour government should try to reintroduce them.

"It is a sorry state of affairs when even the Tory party and the Liberals are opposed to a Labour government's Big Brother big idea."

Quite. So what did Charles Clarke have to say to this?

"Defending ID cards on the BBC Today programme, Mr Clarke said: "They will allow people to identify themselves and ensure that the data that is held about them is data held about them and not someone else.

"In that sense, they are a means of attacking the ... Big Brother society."

So, the efficiency of ID cards will be proven by the fact that the citizen can be assured that it is really them, and not someone else, that the state is snooping on. Thanks, Mr. Clarke - I'm re-assured: the truth is a lie and freedom is slavery. Thank you for looking after us, Uncle Tony...